CaliValleyGirl

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Peace for our time?

Political statementRe "Pro or con, feelings strong on flag display" (McCarthy, April 10):

Alex Reza gave himself the lie by his statement that our soldiers' deaths are unjustified and by his placard, "How many more?" So his display is political, after all, and a sordid attack on the sensibilities of the soldiers' families.

How many more? That depends partly on our resolve to finish the job. In the 1930s the Europeans tried appeasing the fascists, who were free to rearm and attack when they were ready. Chamberlain's "peace in our time" cost the world 50 million dead. We didn't fight until we, too, had been attacked, losing as many on the first day as in four years in Iraq - and 400,000 not 3,000, dead by the end.

- Louis RichterEncino

My mother (who is British and grew up in England during WWII) sighed and then said: "I can remember how angry my father was with Chamberlain's: Peace for Our Time:

We, the German Fuhrer and Chancellor, and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for our two countries and for Europe. We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again.

We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions that may concern our two countries, and we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference, and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe.

My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is "peace for our time." Go home and get a nice quiet sleep .

Well, last nice quiet sleep didn't last long, did it? And it is kind of creepy how he talks about himself in the third person, glorifying the honor of having returned from Germany and having secured "peace in our time."

About Me

After living in Germany for 9+ years, surviving my boyfriend's deployment, moving back to the US, and then marrying my soldier, I am now discovering wedded bliss and have officially joined the ranks of military spouses.